My name is Ann Williams-Fitzgerald and I am a marriage celebrant based in Mackay. I have been a commonwealth-authorised civil marriage celebrant for approximately 15 years. I am also a fully qualified Justice of the Peace and an ordained spiritual minister [All Faiths] - as such I am also classified as a non-aligned religious Marriage Celebrant as well as a civil Marriage Celebrant. As a celebrant it is my job to process the legal paperwork in order for you to be married

I can offer you a variety of choices to enable you to make your wedding ceremony an especially memorable occasion. There are numerous poems, readings, prayers and vows to choose from, or alternatively, write your own. You may wish to have special friends or family participate in your ceremony.

I can advise you of the legal aspects of the ceremony and encourage your own creativity to personalise your wedding. Each ceremony is individual and can be organised to suit your requirements and beliefs.

Travel is not a problem and I service the Mackay/Whitsunday area and mining towns throughout the central Queensland. I am also prepared to travel anywhere within Australia as required.

I have performed weddings on the Whitsunday Islands like Day Dream Island, South Molle Island, Hamilton Island, Long Island and Hayman Island, cruising on the Tall Ship "Solway Lass, or at resorts like Whitsunday Waters Resort and Coral Sea Resort in Airlie Beach and also out west in areas like Biloela. I service the Mackay regional area and I have also performed weddings down in the Southern States of Australia. Added to this I can also performed double weddings and triple weddings ... [ next ]

THANK YOU LETTERS AND TESTIMONIALS

To read the many Thank-You letters and Testimonials sent to Ann ... [ click here ]

LEGAL REQUIREMENTS

Q What documentation is required to be married in Australia ?

Marital Status Documents required

Never married: Birth Certificates

Divorced: Birth Certificates & Divorce Papers (Decree absolute)

Widower or Widow: Birth Certificate & Death Certificates

Q What if I don't have a birth certificate?

If you were born overseas and your birth certificate and all records of your birth have been destroyed you can provide a passport from a country other than Australia, which shows your date and place of birth or complete a Statutory Declaration. If you were born in Australia a Statutory Declaration is not acceptable you must obtain a birth certificate.

Q What are the Age Requirements?

You must be over the age of 18 to be married in Australia, except in limited circumstances where one party is between 16 and 18 years old and wishes to marry a person over 18. In this case you must have the permission of a Judge or magistrate as well as parental consent. .

Q What is the Notice of Intended Marriage Form?

In order to be married you must lodge a "Notice of Intended Marriage" form at least one month and one day prior to and no more than 18 months prior to the wedding day. NOIM form valid for 18 months from lodgment with Celebrant.

You will need to produce:

A birth certificate for each person (an extract or full copy) If you were born in Australia you MUST produce a birth certificate. If born outside Australia - an overseas passport showing date and pace of birth or a statutory declaration. .

If previously married - divorce - decree absolute.

With the death or previous husband or wife - death certificate.
If either party have changed their name by deed poll, the official 'change of name' document must be produced.

All documents need to be in English or have an official translation of the document into English. If you require documents to be translated then visit http://www.naati.com.au/

All Certificates MUST be original or certified copies. Photo-copies are not acceptable.
Under the "Marriage Act" these documents must be produced before the marriage can take place. If you are not lodging the NOIM in person you will also need to send me copies of the documents you will be producing when I meet you before the wedding. This will allow me to verify that there will be no problems that need to be rectified close to your wedding day.

Q Where can I obtain a "Notice of Intended Marriage" form?

Directly from your celebrant. Your celebrant can post a NOIM form to you if you contact them with your address details. The form can be collected from an Australian Embassy, Australian High Commission or Court House.

You will need to complete the front section in full [page 3 on the download form] and only the top section on the back [top of page 4 on download form] before you return the completed form to me. At this time I will also discuss with you your ceremony selections and provide you with choices of vows, readings, etc. You may look these over at your leisure.

Religious - Holy Matrimony Services available with Robes, ceremony and blessings. (Madonna Ministry and Eagle Lodge Spiritual Centre - All Faiths), Madonna Ministry is affiliated with The Free Church of Antioch.)

Garden Weddings are well known to the Australian public and offer freedom of choice and an individual, meaningful celebration of your passage into marriage. We can design a ceremony to suit your needs and your beliefs.

These ceremonies have become a very popular alternative to the traditional church wedding. The reasons for this are the flexibility of ceremony and the many choices of venue such as parks, gardens and places of special significance. The ceremonies normally take about 20 minutes to complete, including the signing of certificates.

For your ceremony the law requires two witnesses over the age of 18 years.

The Ceremony Fee for a wedding is payable by a month prior to your ceremony. If you choose a location outside Mackay Area (within a 30km) we will discuss an additional charge for travel.

NOTE: All Island and Resort Weddings to be paid in full at time of lodgment of NOIM form.

Commitment Ceremonies offer a less formal approach to the celebration of a partnership by honouring your right to celebrate the union with the ritual of a ceremony to honour your commitment to each other. We can design a ceremony to suit your needs, your lifestyle and your beliefs. ... [ next ]

REAFFIRMATION OF VOWS

These ceremonies are to reaffirm your vows - you may have been married overseas or away from your home town and decide to have a ceremony when you come home for your friends who were unable to attend, or you may like to have this celebration on your wedding anniversary whether it be one year or sixty years. This can also be a very special time for you to celebrate an anniversary, reflect and rejoice the history and recommit to the future with vows renewed. ... [ next ]

NAMING CEREMONIES

Formally welcome a child or children into the family and community of friends. The role of parent, mentor and other family members is celebrated with warmth in a loving and individually designed ceremony. These ceremonies can be performed for children of any age. It is lovely if the child is under 12 months but this does not exclude any other child. These ceremonies are also very personal and I work in with the parents to see what you would like. I can develop a theme for you i.e. Angel, Fairy or Teddy Bear.

You may also like to have a special wish tree for the day. Naming ceremonies are a non-religious alternative to a Baptism or Christening, which are very personal ceremonies. Your family members are encouraged to participate, as Godparents, doing Reading's etc.

There is an optional Candle Ceremony included in the Naming and you are presented with the candle and a copy of the ceremony as a memento of the day along with the Naming Certificate.

The cost of a Naming Ceremony is $250.00. The cost of a Baptism is $300.00.

Baptisms - Christian Rite of Initiation (Madonna Ministry and Eagle Lodge Spiritual Centre) Madonna Ministry is affiliated with the free Church of Antioch. A copy of the ceremony as a memento of the day along with a Baptism Certificate. ... [ next ]

CONTACT CELEBRANT

Ann Williams-FitzgeraldAddress: PO Box 105, Mackay , Qld 4740

Phone/Fax: 07 4957 7505Mobile: 0417 602822

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